TDS Desk:

Police officials find themselves entangled in the escalating issue of case trading, exemplified by the contentious attempted murder case filed during the July mass protests, which has sparked widespread criticism.

In Dhaka’s Khilgaon Police Station, ZI Khan Panna, a Supreme Court lawyer and the chairperson of Ain O Salish Kendra, was initially named as an accused. However, following widespread backlash, the plaintiff withdrew his name.

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdullah Al Mamun and 36 other police officers are also named as accused in the case. Among them, three officers revealed to the media that large sums of money—up to hundreds of thousands of taka—were demanded to remove their names from the accused list.

This is not an isolated incident. In Dhaka’s Adabar Police Station, a sub-inspector named Shahin Parvez was withdrawn for his involvement in case trading and harassment of the accused, as confirmed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjad Ali.

On 17 October, a man named Md. Baker filed an attempted murder case with Khilgaon Police Station, accusing 180 individuals. The first accused is former Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader, followed by other prominent figures, including former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain, and former MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury. Among the accused are also 36 police officers, including former IGP Abdullah Al Mamun, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, and DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid.

Inspector Partha Pratim Brahmachari, Sub-Inspector Rashedur Rahman, and Sub-Inspector Anup Biswas—listed as accused—have come forward with allegations. They claim to have no involvement in the alleged incident but have been named in the case. They also reported demands for bribes ranging from Tk100,000 to 200,000 to have their names removed.

Anonymous sources revealed that a syndicate of local leaders from a political party and some police officers is orchestrating this case-trading racket. They demand bribes—Tk200,000 from inspectors, Tk100,000 from sub-inspectors, and Tk50,000 from assistant sub-inspectors—and threaten to implicate them in additional murder cases if payments are not made.

Sub-Inspector Rashedur Rahman explained that he was transferred from Rampura to Bhashantek Police Station 11 days before the incident mentioned in the case. Rampura is 12 kilometers away from Bhashantek, making it impossible for him to be at both locations simultaneously. He has decided not to pay the bribe.

Similarly, Inspector Partha Pratim Brahmachari has refused to pay the demanded Tk200,000, despite threats of being implicated in future murder cases. Another anonymous officer reported being asked for Tk500,000 under similar threats.

SI Anup Kumar Biswas shared that he was injured during the quota reform protests in Rampura on July 18 and was hospitalized. A colleague informed him later that he needed to pay Tk100,000 to avoid being linked to a murder case. Believing himself innocent, he chose not to pay.

Md. Baker, the plaintiff and a vegetable vendor in Banashree, stated in multiple interviews that he does not recognize the accused individuals. He approached the police only to report his son’s injury during the protests. A lawyer named Jasim and a few others wrote the complaint and asked him to sign it, which he did without fully understanding its implications.